How to Get Santa Cruz Homes Sold in this Buyer’s Market

You know it’s a buyer’s market. But you really need to sell your home now. Here are 6 tips to get Santa Cruz homes sold even in today’s real estate market:

1. Price your home competitively from the start. Ask your agent to find out what similar homes in your neighborhood sold for in the last 6 months. Don’t bother looking at pricing prior to that. And don’t base your decision on listing prices. A lot of homeowners price their Santa Cruz homes high to start with but end up drastically reducing the price in order to get them sold.

2. Offer incentives. There are a lot of similar properties on the market, so in addition to competitively pricing your home, you should consider including incentives. You could offer a home warranty, to pay part of the closing costs or to leave the big screen television that fits perfectly over your fireplace.

3. Pick the right agent. Look for local agents who are listing, marketing, and selling in your neighborhood even though the market is slow. Interview several of them and ask what price they recommend and how they’ll market your property.

4. Get your home in tip-top shape. You cannot afford to let anything slip through the cracks… literally. If you have cracks in your driveway, walls or foundation, get them fixed before you put your home up for sale. Make your home shine.

5. Be flexible on the deposit. In a slow market, you may need to settle for a smaller deposit than you’d typically require. If the buyer is pre-approved for a loan and no other offers are on the table, reducing the deposit may convince the buyer to make an offer.

6. Negotiate. Buyers can and will be demanding in today’s real estate market. Prepare yourself for some tough negotiating. Make sure you’re working with an agent who excels at negotiating, and then let her do her job.

Want to work with a local agent who is an expert negotiator and knows how to get Santa Cruz homes sold in this buyer’s market? Give me a call today at 831.662.6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com.

About Lauren Spencer

Award-Winning Santa Cruz REALTOR®

Lauren Spencer is your local real estate expert, specializing in Santa Cruz real estate and surrounding communities—this is where she lives, works, and plays too. Let her know your questions about the community and county and she'll be happy to fill you in on all you want to know! Lauren Spencer has consistently been voted best local REALTOR in Santa Cruz and is always happy to offer her advice and expertise. Call her at: 800.226.4717.